Vehicle loader

ABSTRACT

A vehicle loader having a pivoted boom mounted on the vehicle frame. A tippable bucket is movably mounted on the free end of the boom through a bucket support means for movement relative to the boom longitudinally of the boom. A motor is provided for moving the bucket support means. Linkage means mounted on the bucket support means and connected at its ends to the bucket and vehicle frame produces tipping movement of the bucket with movement of the bucket support means on the boom. The linkage means includes an extensible link which on extension also results in bucket tipping.

United States Patent Layton Mar. 14, 1972 [54] VEHICLE LOADER [72] Inventor: Jack D. Layton, Salem, Oreg.

[73] Assignee: Layton Manufacturing Company, Salem,

Oreg.

[22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1970 [21] Appl. No: 12,723

3,412,885 11/1968 Pensa ..2l4/776 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerJohn Mannix Attorney-Kolisch & Hartwell [5 7] ABSTRACT A vehicle loader having a pivoted boom mounted on the vehicle frame. A tippable bucket is movably mounted on the free end of the boom through a bucket support means for movement relative to the boom longitudinally of the boom. A motor is provided for moving the bucket support means. Linkage means mounted on the bucket support means and connected at its ends to the bucket and vehicle frame produces tipping movement of the bucket with movement of the bucket support means on the boom. The linkage means includes an extensible link which on extension also results in bucket tipping.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 SHEET 1 [1F 2 Jw mw ll-ll dock D. Legion BY INVENTQF? KM rumwlw,

w ,PAIENTEDMAR 14 I912 SHEET 2 BF 2 Jack D. Lagfon BY INVENTOI? XM-WM VEHICLE LOADER This invention relates to a vehicle loader.

Vehicle loaders are used in various material handling applications, exemplified by the digging of loose material, such as sand or gravel, at one location and dumping it at another location, which in a loading operation may be the dump body of a truck. Such loaders generally include a tippable bucket mounted on the forward end of a boom. A preferred digging position for the bucket is close to the front of the vehicle on which it is mounted dictating a short boom. When dumping, however, additional length in the boom has advantages, since this gives a greater reach to the boom and makes maneuvering of its bucket to place it in proper dumping position easier.

A general object of this invention is to provide a novel vehicle loader including a bucket which is mounted on a vehiclesupported boom, which includes means whereby the bucket may be shifted longitudinally outwardly on the boom when desired during dumping. This permits the bucket to be spaced relative to the vehicle as required for optimum operating efficiency.

Another object is to provide such a vehicle loader wherein a support means for the bucket in the loader is provided, which is telescopically mounted on the free end ofthe boom.

A further object is to provide a vehicle loader featuring a vehicle-supported boom and bucket at the end of the boom which accommodates a number of different bucket positioning movements. As a result, a flexibility of operation is attained which has proven to be desirable and useful.

These and other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, with portions broken away, of a vehicle loader, constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, with a bucket for the loader illustrated in a lowered position and in a digging attitude;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the front end only of the loader of FIG. 1, with the bucket in a raised position and in a holding attitude;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the front end only of the loader of FIG. 1, with the bucket illustrated in a raised position and in a dumping attitude; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view, taken generally along the line 44 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, and first more specifically to FIG. 1, at is indicated generally a loader according to one embodiment of the invention. The loader has an articulated main, or vehicle, frame 12, including a front frame section 14 and rear frame section 16. These are pivotally interconnected by a pair of vertical, axially aligned king pins 18. The frame is supported above the ground by a pair of steerable front wheels, such as the one indicated at 22, and a pair of rear wheels, such as the one indicated at 24.

Rear wheels 24 are power-driven and front wheels 22 are used for steering. Steering may be accomplished by steering wheels 22 relative to front frame section 14, or by swinging of the front frame section relative to the rear frame section about king pins 18 by selective extension and contraction of rams such as ram 26 interconnecting frame sections 14, 16. A ram (not shown) similar to ram 26 is on the opposite side of the loader. Steering may also be done by using a combination of these two methods.

An elongated grader blade 32 secured to a beam 36, illustrated in cross section in FIG. 1, is dependently supported on rear frame section 16 between wheels 20, 24. The blade extends transversely of the frame. A pair of upright rams, such as the one indicated at 34 (the other being obscured and on the opposite side of the vehicle), are connected at their upper set of ends to opposite sides of the rear frame section. At their lower set of ends, the rams are connected to spaced-apart portions of elongated beam 36. Selective actuation of rams 34 controls the vertical positioning of blade 32 relative to the vehicle frame.

A pair of bars, such as the one indicated at 38 (such being adjacent opposite sides of the vehicle and one being obscured in FIG. 1), are connected at one set of their ends to beam 36 adjacent the beams opposite ends. The other set of ends of the bars are connected to the rear frame section. Bars 38 are part of the mounting for the blade on the vehicle frame. Also forming part of the mounting for the blade is a stabilizing bar 40 connected at one end through a post 42 to an intermediate portion of beam 36 and at its other end to the rear frame section.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, mounted on front frame section 14 is loader mechanism, indicated generally at 50, including an elongated boom 52. The boom, as is seen in FIG. 2, 3, and 4, comprises an elongated box beam portion 52a forming the base of the boom, and a pair of substantially parallel, laterally spaced-apart rails 52b secured to the end of portion 52a and forming the top of the boom. Portion 52a of the boom is pivotally connected to the frame at 54 for vertical swinging relative to the frame. Thus, portion 52a constitutes the pivoted end of the boom and rails 52b the free end of the boom.

A bucket support means, comprising a pair of hollow, elongated, substantially parallel and laterally spaced-apart mounting members 56, is slidably received on rails 52b for telescopic movement thereon. Members 56 are joined by a crossmember 58 intermediate their ends (see FIG. 4). Thus the bucket support means is mounted for reciprocation on the free end of the boom.

Still referring to FIG. 4, an extensible-contractable ram 60, or extension motor, is connected at one end to crossmember 58 and at its other end to the boom, more specifically portion 52a. Extension of the ram moves members 56, 58 outwardly on the boom away from the vehicle frame, and contraction of the ram moves members 56, 58 inwardly on the boom toward the frame.

Referring again to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, an extensible-contractable ram 66, or power-operated means for raising the boom, is pivotally connected adjacent one ofits ends, at 68, to front frame section 14, and is pivotally connected adjacent its other end, at 70, to boom 52. With ram 66 contracted, the boom is in a lowered position, as illustrated in FIG. 1, Extension of ram 66 swings the boom upwardly about its pivot connection with the frame, to place the boom in its raised position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

I A bucket, indicated generally at 74, is pivotally connected at 76 to the forward ends, the left ends in the figures, of members 56. The bucket has a back 740, a floor 74b disposed at an acute angle to back 74a, and opposed ends 74c. The pivotal connections between members 56 and the bucket provide a substantially horizontal tip axis about which the bucket may be tipped or swung vertically to place it at different attitudes. The bucket faces generally a plane which is normal to the floor of the bucket adjacent the forward edge of the bucket. Three specific attitudes for the bucket are illustrated. A digging attitude is illustrated in solid outline in FIG. 1, where the bucket faces forwardly and away from the vehicle frame. A holding attitude for the bucket is illustrated in dashed outline in FIG. 1 and in solid outline in FIG. 2, where the bucket faces upwardly. A dumping attitude for the bucket is illustrated in solid outline in FIG. 3, where the bucket faces forwardly and downwardly to allow the dumping of a load.

A linkage system, or means, 80 is provided on each side of the boom which is utilized in changing the attitude of the bucket. The systems are similar, and thus only one will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a linkage system includes a link 83, partly formed of an extensible-contractable ram 82, which is pivotally connected at 84 to front frame section 14, in a region spaced forwardly on the vehicle from pivot connection 54 for the boom. Because link 83 includes ram 82, such is referred to as an extensible link. An elongated link or arm 86 in the system is pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends on member 56 (i.e., the bucket support means), through a pin 88 and an ear 90 secured to and extending upwardly from member 56. The upper end of link 83 is pivotally joined to an end oflink 86 by a pin 85.

An elongated link or arm 94 is pivotally connected at one end, at 87, to the forward end of link 86. The opposite end of link 94 is pivotally joined to the bucket, at 89, in a region spaced from pivot connection 76.

From the construction just described, it should be obvious that there are a number of different ways in which the bucket may be swung with respect to the boom to change the relative position of the two. Further explaining, with the boom remaining stationary, and with the length of link 83 remaining fixed, the bucket may be swung in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 by extension of ram 60 interposed between the bucket support means and the free end of the boom. With the parts having the positions shown in FIG. 2, on extension of ram 60 the bucket thus can be swung from the holding position shown for the bucket in FIG. 2 to the dumping position shown for the bucket in FIG. 3.

Another type of bucket movement may be produced by actuation of ram 82 to change the effective length of link 83 without changing the position of the boom or the bucket support means which is mounted on the free end of the boom. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 where it may be seen that the bucket may be swung from a digging position to a holding position by extension of ram 82 while maintaining unchanged the position of the boom and the bucket support means.

The boom may be raised through extension of ram 66 without changing the effective length of link 83 and without changing the position of the bucket support means on the free end of the boom. Such is accompanied by relative counterclockwise swinging of the bucket with respect to the boom, whereby the attitude of the bucket remains essentially unchanged. This is best illustrated by comparing the position of the boom and bucket as shown in dashed outline in FIG. 1 with the boom and bucket as shown in solid outline in Fig. 2 where the boom is shown raised from a lowered to an elevated position with the bucket maintained at its holding attitude.

Explaining now the operation of the vehicle loader described, with the bucket in the digging position shown in FIG. 1, and with the boom lowered, the vehicle may be driven forwardly, to the left in the figure, with the bucket digging into a pile of material to fill the bucket. Since the bucket is positioned inwardly on the boom, the bucket is closely adjacent front wheels 22 when digging. This permits maximum weight to be maintained on the power-driven rear wheels to provide maximum tractive effort for the loader.

Ram 82 then may be extended, as shown in dashed outline in FIG. 1 and in solid outline in FIG. 2, to swing the bucket from its digging attitude to its holding attitude, the latter being shown in dashed outline in FIG. 1.

To raise the bucket, ram 66 is extended. The linkage system described is such that on the boom being raised to the position illustrated in FIG. 2 the bucket is maintained in a holding attitude facing upwardly.

Bucket 74 may be tipped to its dumping attitude from the position shown in FIG. 2, by contracting ram 82 to shorten link 83. This causes material to be dumped from the bucket in a region closely adjacent the front of the vehicle wheels. If it is desired to dump material from the bucket in a region spaced further outwardly from the front wheels, this may be accomplished by extending ram 60 to slide the bucket mounting means outwardly along rails 52b of the boom. On such extension, link 86 will be rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, causing bucket 74 to tip or swing from its holding attitude, through its digging attitude, and thence into its dumping attitude as shown in FIG. 3.

With the bucket being movable along the boom as described, a vehicle loader is provided wherein the bucket may be positioned as desired relative to the forward end of the vehicle to produce the most efficient operation of the vehicle loader.

While a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it is appreciated that changes and variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A vehicle loader comprising a vehicle frame,

an elongated vertically swingable boom having a pivoted end pivotally mounted on the frame and a free end adjacent one end of the frame,

a bucket,

extensible support means for the bucket mounted on said free end of the boom for telescopic movement longitudinally on the boom,

pivot means mounting said bucket on said support means permitting tipping of the bucket about a substantially horizontal tip axis, between a digging attitude in which the bucket faces outwardly and away from the frame, and a dumping attitude in which the bucket faces downwardly from said digging attitude,

an extension motor interconnecting said boom and said support means for powering relative telescopic movement between the boom and support means,

linkage means mounted on said support means with one end connected to the bucket and another end connected to the frame for producing relative pivotal movement of the bucket on telescopic movement of said support means, and

power-operated means for raising and lowering the boom.

2. The loader of claim 1, wherein said linkage means includes an extensible link which on extension and through the linkage means produces pivoting of the bucket.

3. The loader of claim 1, wherein said linkage means comprises a first elongated link pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said support means for rocking in opposite directions about a substantially horizontal rock axis and for movement with said support means longitudinally on said boom, a second elongated link pivotally connected at one of its ends to one end of said first link and at its other end of said vehicle frame, and a third elongated link pivotally connected at one of its ends to the opposite end of said first link and at its other end to said bucket in a region spaced laterally of said pivot axis for said bucket.

4. The loader of claim 3, wherein said second link is extensible and is operable on being extended to produce pivoting of said bucket.

5. The loader of claim 4, wherein said second link is a fluidoperated ram.

6. The loader of claim 1, wherein said free end of the boom comprises parallel spaced-apart rails generally paralleling the boom, said support means is mounted on said rails, and said motor comprises a fluid-operated ram mounted between said rails.

7. A vehicle loader comprising a vehicle frame,

an elongated vertically swingable boom having a pivoted end pivotally mounted on the frame between the ends of the frame and a free end adjacent one end of the frame,

a bucket,

an extensible member mounted for reciprocal movement on the free end of the boom, pivot means mounting said bucket on said extensible member accommodating vertical swinging of the bucket,

linkage means mounted on said extensible member with one end connected to the bucket and another end connected to the frame producing relative swinging movement of the bucket on movement of said extensible member, and

power-operated means interposed between the extensible member and boom for producing relative reciprocal movement of said extensible member.

8. The motor of claim 7, wherein said linkage means includes an extensible link which on extension produces swinging of the bucket. 

1. A vehicle loader comprising a vehicle frame, an elongated vertically swingable boom having a pivoted end pivotally mounted on the frame and a free end adjacent one end of the frame, a bucket, extensible support means for the bucket mounted on said free end of the boom for telescopic movement longitudinally on the boom, pivot means mounting said bucket on said support means permitting tipping of the bucket about a substantially horizontal tip axis, between a digging attitude in which the bucket faces outwardly and away from the frame, and a dumping attitude in which the bucket faces downwardly from said digging attitude, an extension motor interconnecting said boom and said support means for powering relative telescopic movement between the boom and support means, linkage means mounted on said support means with one end connected to the bucket and another end connected to the frame for producing relative pivotal movement of the bucket on telescopic movement of said support means, and power-operated means for raising and lowering the boom.
 2. The loader of claim 1, wherein said linkage means includes an extensible link which on extension and through the linkage means produces pivoting of the bucket.
 3. The loader of claim 1, wherein said linkage means comprises a first elongated link pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said support means for rocking in opposite directions about a substantially horizontal rock axis and for movement with said support means longitudinally on said boom, a second elongated link pivotally connected at one of its ends to one end of said first link and at its other end to said vehicle frame, and a third elongated link pivotally connected at one of its ends to the opposite end of said first link and at its other end to said bucket in a region spaced laterally of said pivot axis for said bucket.
 4. The loader of claim 3, wherein said second link is extensible and is operable on being extended to produce pivoting of said bucket.
 5. The loader of claim 4, wherein said second link is a fluid-operated ram.
 6. The loader of claim 1, wherein said free end of the boom comprises parallel spaced-apart rails generally paralleling the boom, said support means is mountEd on said rails, and said motor comprises a fluid-operated ram mounted between said rails.
 7. A vehicle loader comprising a vehicle frame, an elongated vertically swingable boom having a pivoted end pivotally mounted on the frame between the ends of the frame and a free end adjacent one end of the frame, a bucket, an extensible member mounted for reciprocal movement on the free end of the boom, pivot means mounting said bucket on said extensible member accommodating vertical swinging of the bucket, linkage means mounted on said extensible member with one end connected to the bucket and another end connected to the frame producing relative swinging movement of the bucket on movement of said extensible member, and power-operated means interposed between the extensible member and boom for producing relative reciprocal movement of said extensible member.
 8. The motor of claim 7, wherein said linkage means includes an extensible link which on extension produces swinging of the bucket. 